Ogun Community Appeals For Rehabilitation Of Oke Sefu Road
Residents of Oke Sefu, a rural community in the Ibafo area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have appealed to the state government to rehabilitate their deteriorating access road, saying its condition has disrupted transportation and economic activities.
The residents, including business owners and commercial motorcycle operators, said the road had become particularly difficult to navigate during the rainy season due to flooding, potholes and slippery sections.
They appealed to the government to urgently intervene, noting that the deplorable condition had increased the cost and duration of transportation while exposing road users to accidents.
A visit to the community showed motorcyclists struggling to navigate some sections of the road, while some passengers reportedly disembarked at different points to avoid possible accidents.
A resident, Abigail Damilola, said the road was almost impassable whenever it rained, making movement stressful for residents.
She said, “Concerning our Sefu Road, the road is very bad. There is too much galloping, especially during the rainy season. Once it starts raining, everywhere becomes messed up, and there is water all over the road.
“We are pleading with our governor to help us renovate this road because people are really suffering. Even for a pregnant woman, passing through this road is very uncomfortable because of the excessive galloping.”
A commercial motorcycle operator, Usman Sanni, said the poor state of the road had made their work more difficult and increased the risks faced by riders and passengers.
According to him, potholes and slippery portions of the road had made motorcycle operations particularly dangerous during rainfall.
“We, Okada riders, are suffering because of this road, especially the road from Sefu to Ibafo. Whenever it rains, we suffer a lot. When you carry passengers, they complain from the point where you pick them up to where you drop them because there is no good road,” he said.
Another rider, who identified himself as Adeola, said the road had increased transportation time and fuel costs, adding that waterlogged sections also damaged motorcycle engines.
He said a journey that ordinarily took between seven and 10 minutes now lasted between 10 and 15 minutes because riders often had to take longer routes to avoid badly flooded portions.
Meanwhile, another resident, Folasade Anike, appealed to the government to address both the road and unstable electricity supply in the community.
She said the poor road condition became more problematic during the rainy season, while unreliable electricity had further compounded the challenges faced by residents.
Responding, the Ogun State Government said it could not rehabilitate all roads across the state simultaneously due to limited resources.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the government was aware of the condition of roads in various parts of the state and had continued to prioritise projects based on available revenue.
Akinmade noted that the government had embarked on several road projects in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, including areas around Ibafo and Mowe.
He said the state government had to prioritise road projects because it was impossible for any administration to rehabilitate every road in the state at the same time.
The commissioner also disclosed that the State Executive Council had recently approved additional road projects, including some within the affected local government area.
Akinmade said the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun had made progress in road construction and rehabilitation across the state but acknowledged that more work remained to be done.
“There is no way the government can complete all the decay of several decades in just seven years. But the people should be assured that their concern is noted and it will be addressed in due course,” he said.
